Sliding door



March 18, 1952 w, N JR 2,589,493

SLIDING DOOR Filed April 20, 1950 2.SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR- ZUiZZiam jHnTJ/JZ' Maire 18, 1952 w. J. HENRY, JR

SLIDING DOOR 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed April 20, 1950 INVENTOR. William Jyfzn/yfit BY W WV Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE SLIDING DOOR William J Henry, J12, Knoxville, Tenn.

Application April 20, 1950, Serial No..157,023

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a sliding door which may be used advantageously in conjunction with the bodies of automobiles and other analogous vehicles.

Among the objects, advantages and benefits of the present invention .are the following. Vehicles having a door or doors of the indicated character may be more easily parked into more narrow spaces. There is less liability of damage to the door by moving the vehicle when the door is open. The door does not move and project into the path of trafiic, or in the line of posts, parked automobiles, and other obstructions. The door is .less likely to come completely open during travel as is the case with hinged doors. The door in its open position does not interfere with a person entering or leaving the vehicle.

With the foregoing, other objects and advantages of the invention will appear when the following specification is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an automobile showing a door mounted on the body thereof in accordance with the present invention, the door being shown closed.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the door moved into the open position.

Fig. 3 .is a fragmentary sectional plan view showing a portion of the vehicle body, and illustrating the door in its closed position in full lines, and in a "partly open position in dotted lines, and in the fully open position. in .dotdash lines.

Fig. 4 is an inside perspective view illustrating certain features of the door mounting with a portion of the door.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken approximately on-the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view.

In the drawings, I designates the body of an automobile, or other analogous vehicle,yhaving a door ,II mounted .for sliding movement between a closed and open "position with respect to a door opening I2 in the body Ill, in

accordance with the present invention, as follows.

Use is made of guide rails, rods or shafts I3 which are arranged in spaced parallel relation to each other, and in parallel relation to the longitudinal axis of the body Ill below the floor. The rails I3 are secured in the stated relationship to the floor at the opposite ends by any suitable means, as indicated at I4. If desired, flat braces I are interposed between the rails 2 L3 and are secured. thereto, as by Welding or otherwise. The .braces I5 are disposed at right angles to the rails and help to keep the rails parallel and rigid.

In order to support the door for sliding movement on the rails I3 in paths at a right angle to each other, use is made .of a slidablecarrier IS. The carrier comprises longitudinal tubular members I! and transverse tubular members I8 welded or otherwise secured to the members IT on top of the sameandat right angles thereto. Rods I9 are slidably received in the transverse members I8 respectively. Across bar 20 has its opposite ends secured to the members IS. The inner ends of the rods 19 are connected by .a cross bar 2! which extend through longitudinal slots 22 in the members I8 to be clear .of the latter in the sliding movement of the rods IS. The longitudinal tubular members I7 slide along the rails I3, respectively. Each of the members H has a longitudinal slot 23 therein to accommodate the braces I5 and to be clear of the latter in the forward-and rearward sliding movement of the carrier I6.

The door II is secured to the outer ends of the rods I9, which latter are disposed .on the inside of the door at or near the lower end or .base of the door. The door has a hand hold 24 both on the inside and outside.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the door II projects upwardly from the carrier I 6. As shown in the drawings, the carrier I6 moves forwardly to bring the door into the open position, and moves rearwardly to bring the door into registry with the opening I2 .to .be brought into the fully closed position in ,said opening flush with the body 1!]. When the carrier 1.6 is in registry with theopening I2, the door may be moved'laterally outward for opening the door and moved laterally inward for closing the door. After the door has been initially moved laterally outward to a partly open position, asshown in dotted lines in Fig.3, the .door may be slidforwardly along the body It into its fully open ,position, as shown in dotand-dash lines in Fig. 3, and from said positionmay .beslid vice versa into its closed position, .as shown infull lines in Fig. 3.

In order to clear the rods IS in the movement of the door, the body IE9 has a slot 25 therein. Opposing strips 26 of resilient and flexible ma terial on the body close the slot 25 to exclude the elements of weather yet enable the movement of the rods in the slot.

A buffer bar 21 on the body I I] prevents the door from possibly scraping or scratching the surface of the body as the door is slid back and forth.

In order to latch the door to the carrier l6 as the door is slid laterally outward, there is provided a spring action latch member or tongue 28 on the cross bar 20 which snaps into a keeper slot 29 in the cross bar 2|. Likewise, one of the members I8 has a spring action latch member or tongue '30, thereon which snaps into a keeper slot 3| in one of the braces [5. These means are provided for securing or latching the door in the open position. The door may be provided with conventional latching means for latching it in the closed position.

The arrangement or assembly of parts on which the door is mounted may be enclosed in a suitable housing or shield. Such parts kept properly greased facilitate the sliding movement thereof.

It is to be understood that the door may be moved rearwardly into the open position; that two doors may be used to replace the conventional four doors by making them sufilciently large; and that the invention is not restricted to the details above described, but includes all constructions and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a vehicle body having a door opening, of a door for closing said opening, spaced parallel rails fixed on said body parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, a carrier therein to accommodate and clear said braces, rods slidably received in said transverse tubular members, respectively, said rods being secured to the door at the bottom on the inside of the door, and a cross piece connecting the inner ends of the rods, said transverse tubular members having lengthwise slots therein to accommodate the cross piece so that the latter is clear of said transverse tubular members, the provision and arrangement being such that the door is mounted for sliding movement transversely and then 1ongitudinally with respect to said axis into an open position alongside of the body, and vice versa into a closed position in said opening.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said body has a slot therein to accommodate the rods so that the rods are clear of the .body, and opposed resilient flexible strips on the body which seal the slot, but Which yield to the movement of the rods as the door is being moved along the body. 7

7. The combination with a housing having a door opening, of a door for closing said opening,

slidable along said rails, said' carrier having spaced tubular members extending transversely of said axis, and rods slidably received in said tubular members, respectively, and secured to the door at the bottom on the inside thereof, the provision and arrangement being such that the door is mounted for sliding movement transversely and then parallel to said axis into an open position alongside of the body, and vice versa into a closed position in said opening.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, and coacting means connected with the carrier and the rods for latching the door in a partly open position.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, and coacting means connected with the carrier and said rails to latch the door in the open position.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said body has a slot therein to accommodate the rods so that the latter are clear of the body.

5. The combination with a vehicle body having a door opening, of a door for closing said opening, spaced parallel rails fixed on said body parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, transverse braces connected with the rails between the same, a carrier comprising spaced parallel longitudinal tubular members and spaced parallel transverse tubular members integral with the longitudinal tubular members, said longitudinal tubular members being slidable along said rails so that the carrier is slidable in opposite directions parallel to said axis, said longitudinal tubular members having lengthwise slots guide members fixed with relation to said housing, a carrier mounted on said guide members for movement along the housing, and means on the door near the bottom and at the inside thereof which slidably cooperates with transversely extending means on the carrier by which the door is mounted on the carrier for movement therewith and lateral movement with respect thereto, the provision and arrangement being such that the door may be moved laterally of the housing and then along the same into an open position, and vice versa into a closed position in said opening.

8. The combination with a vehicle body having a door opening, of a door for closing said opening, a guiding structure fixed on said body, a carrier having guided movement on said structure lengthwise of the body, and spaced rods which extend laterally inward from the door slidable in means on the carrier whereby the door is supported on the carrier for movement sidewise in relation to said body, the provision and arrangement being such that the door is mounted for movement transversely to said axis and then parallel to said axis into an open position, and vice versa into a closed position in said opening.

WILLIAM J. HENRY, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,712,562 Jefiers May 14, 1929 1,928,523 Bally Sept. 26, 1933 2,202,015 Marinello May 28, 1940 2,445,131 Wartian July 13, 1948 2,459,502 Craig Jan. 18, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 237,538 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1945 698,436 France July 5, 1930 

